From the – “just couldn’t help myself”department:
I’ve been following Sad Puppies 3 for obvious reasons (the self-victimization is a kick all by itself) and found this paragraph on Larry Correia’s commentary on the subject:
See, the Hugos are broken. Everybody who is sane and paying attention realizes that it is just a popularity contest that has come to be dominated by one tiny insular group. The Hugos are supposed to mean something. They’re supposed to represent what ALL of fandom thinks is awesome. Many of the regular voters still treat it seriously, but they’re outnumbered. Hell, even the people benefitting from the Hugo’s current state will admit that it is broken, only they do so privately, and certainly not in front of the unwashed masses who like things like fun or enjoyment. (that’s you guys!) (Ed. emphasis added)
Is this 1984 or what? (The year may be 2015, but it’s still 1984….)
No. That is not what the Hugo Awards are supposed to be. The Hugo Awards are the popular vote of the FANS who care enough to join the World Science Fiction Society and who care enough to nominate and/or vote – a privilege extended to them by virtue of their membership in WSFS.
But you and your confederates just don’t seem to get that. Or rather, (because we all know you’re smart enough to get it), you’d rather distort the entire issue because doing so better serves your purposes.
That paragraph is priceless:
Everybody who is sane and paying attention realizes that it is just a popularity contest that has come to be dominated by one tiny insular group.
Therefore, failure to agree that the awards are dominated by a tiny insular group is insanity. Since the awards do not reflect works you believe ought to be winning, and since the voting reflects the majority, one can only come to the conclusion that the majority of fans are insane. Crazed? Perhaps. Insane? No.
Please explain how a “small insular group” manages to dominate awards based on popular vote (from among the membership). Sad Puppies 2 just finished proving that a “small insular group” can get works on the final ballot, but can’t influence the final vote. So how come they can do it, but Sad Puppies can’t? Maybe the SIG is actually the majority (!)?
The Hugos are supposed to mean something.
Which implies that they don’t currently mean anything (which begs the question: then why do you care?). What are the Hugo Awards supposed to mean? I’ve always thought, and still do, that they mean this:
What are the Hugo Awards?
The Hugo Awards, to give them their full title, are awards for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy. They were first awarded in 1953, and have been awarded every year since 1955. The awards are run by and voted on by fans.Voting for the awards is open to all members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), and to become a member all you have to do is buy a membership in that year’s Worldcon. It is not necessary to actually attend the convention. A “supporting membership,” which currently costs around $50 though it can vary from year to year, is all you need to join WSFS.
(From The Hugo Awards website)
Do you have some other meaning in mind?
Many of the regular voters still treat it seriously, but they’re outnumbered.
I’d like to believe that everyone who takes the time to join WSFS and nominate and/or vote, and who just spent $40 to $200 bucks for the privilege to do so takes the awards seriously. The fact that their nominations may not be drawn from your recommended voting slate does not remove their serious consideration from the equation.
But what I really want to know is: who are the regular voters and who are they outnumbered by? For want of detail, lets assume that the regular voters are outnumbered by non-regular voters. Then isn’t Sad Puppies working at cross-purposes? Any attempt to bring in new voters simply adds to the ranks of the non-regulars….
Hell, even the people benefitting from the Hugo’s current state will admit that it is broken, only they do so privately, and certainly not in front of the unwashed masses who like things like fun or enjoyment.
That’s a huge basket of admissions. It covers everything from “my Hugo rocket fell off its base” , to disappointed also-rans to anyone proposing a change to the awards for whatever reason (not to mention those lamenting the current politicization of the awards).
The Hugo Awards are not broken – unless not winning one equals broken. There is no secret cabal influencing the vote (unless you count Sad Puppies trying to influence the vote). The Hugo Awards are not awards given by All Of Fandom. They are given by the members of WSFS who choose to participate.
But I do think we’d all be very happy if All Of Fandom actually participated. (Well, maybe not, unless one assumes that All Of Fandom is going to vote the way you want them to. Talk about herding cats!)
